Bodega Tapiz Reserve Malbec 2020 Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 75cl

Malbec is the heart of Bodega Tapiz, and the Reserve version is where the winery brings together its better Uco Valley parcels with a longer, more considered time in oak. It is the step up from the classic range, aimed at drinkers who want a little more weight and polish in their glass.

Grown high in the Uco Valley, this pure Malbec benefits from cool nights that hold on to colour, perfume and acidity while the daytime sun ripens the fruit fully. Altitude is the key to the region’s reputation, giving reds that are both ripe and fresh, and the Reserve oak ageing adds a frame of spice and vanilla around a naturally plush core.

The 2020 season across the Uco Valley produced ripe, well-coloured Malbec, and this bottling reflects that generosity while keeping the freshness that altitude reliably provides.

Expect an intense violet colour and aromas of ripe red and black fruit lifted by a floral note, with vanilla and chocolate from the barrel. It is full and rounded on the palate, the tannins ripe and well integrated, and the finish long and warming. There is enough structure here to develop further, though it is already drinking well.

Pour it with grilled steak, a slow-cooked Sunday roast or a plate of mature hard cheese, and give it a little air first. If you love a generous, oak-aged Argentine Malbec with high-altitude freshness behind it, this Reserve delivers exactly that, and rewards an unhurried evening. At around 14.5% it has warmth as well as weight, so it stands up to robust, well-seasoned cooking.